How to KonMari Your Beauty Stash: A Tutorial

In the KonMari process, each time you tackle a category the event is called a "festival". So I call this one ”The Festival of Sundries.” You're going to declutter all the health, wellness, and beauty products you have, no matter where they are in your home– let's dive in!

Start by taking a basket or bin and collect everything in your house that fits in this category. My method is to enter each room and go clockwise around it, opening every door, cabinet, and drawer to search for items. Go through the entire house to gather all your health and wellness products including heating pads, bandages, sunscreen, and bug spray – and don’t forget your pet’s healthcare! Use this checklist to help in your hunt! Download PDF- Sundries Komono Checklist

Once you have everything in one location, sort by categories. Sort top to toes- hair care, lotions and skin care, makeup, dental care, medicine, first aid, shaving/hair removal, and so on. If you are doing this process and a family member has items to be tidied, gather their things but don’t mix them in with yours. Keep their things together – you’re not going to discard anything unless they give you permission. OK, you can KonMari for the dog….

Next, go through each category and eliminate expired items. According to Marie Kondo, many of these items have a limited shelf life. Skincare and toiletries last 1-2 years, 3 years if unopened. Once opened, powdered items will keep for 2-3 years, lipstick one year, liquid makeup a year. Medicines have an expiration date. The FDA requires sunscreen to have an expiration date unless it is proven to last for three years. Anything older than three years should go. Tidy up other family members things, but don’t discard any.

Then, touch each item and determine if it sparks joy. You may wonder “does my toothbrush really bring me joy?” Think of it this way– joy can exist in the pure thrill of a lipstick color that you love, or the “joy” of knowing that you’re taking care of your dental health.

Next, discard the expired items, anything you’re no longer using, and those items that don’t spark joy. Dispose of them safely and with respect to the environment (learn how to safely dispose of drugs here).

Congratulations! You’re ready to store the remaining items. It’s nice to open a window and air out the space. Wash and dry any products or items that are sticky or messy, as well as the storage containers and the spaces where they’re stored. Sort like with like, or sort by use i.e. things you use for your morning routine.

Then place into containers. Little boxes and baskets you find around the house will work just fine. If you decide you want to style your shelfie, go wild with pretty containers. Get some inspiration here on Pinterest (of course!) I like to use these stacking bamboo box tray organizers to divide items by frequency of use.

The tray on the left contains everything that is used to get ready on a typical day. It can be taken out of the drawer and placed on the vanity (no more digging around in drawers!) This “daily container” works well if you have roommates too. Each person can keep their beauty stash in their own room, not in the bathroom. 

This process is actually pretty fun. The results are dramatic and transformative- you’ve just made yourself a special guest in your own home! It’s a simple luxury that’s the foundation for an enjoyable (and more efficient!) self-care routine.

Before….

After!

Back to School or Post-Graduation Organization Using The KonMari Method by Marie Kondo

Remember just a short few months ago when school ended and their rooms were in relative good order? What happened over the summer? The war zone that is your child’s room may actually be a manifestation of their current state of mind - their normal apprehension, stress, and anxiety about the future. There are many factors that contribute to their end-summer emotional state no matter what their age.

For recent college graduates it’s the first time in over a decade that they won’t be going back to school. “Summer” is over and adulthood, whatever form that is taking, is upon them. Insecurity over career choices, forming new connections, and what they call #adulting (I.e. all the things you used to do for them) are sources of normal post-college apprehension.

For college students the anxiety of living away in a new environment, balancing academic and social commitments, making decisions about friends and relationships, and dealing with you - their parents, are all sources of normal college stress.

For high schoolers there’s the constant hum of stress around friends, academics, romantic relationships, after school activities, applying for college, and staying safe in school.

You may think there isn’t much you can do to help your child ease the pain of these transitions but there is. A guided KonMari Session is a powerful tool that will help you child develop lifelong skills of self-care, mindfulness, intention, and organization so managing all their stuff doesn’t have to be on their list of overwhelming concerns.

The program involves visualizing the ideal lifestyle they dream of having, setting organizational goals, then sorting through, processing, and organizing all their personal possessions using the KonMari “Spark-Joy” Method with an experienced KonMari Certified Consultant. As your student’s coach, I will teach them the KonMari Method and guide them through the sorting process in a gentle, supportive, non-judgmental and strictly confidential way. This is a learnable skill that will last a lifetime.

Process:

We will “KonMari” by category starting with clothing and footwear, then books, papers, toiletries, textiles, and decorative items. We’ll end with sentimental items. The number of categories we can tidy is determined by how quickly your child works and the volume of things to be tidied. Sessions last 5-6 hours and include lunch and breaks as needed.

Recent graduates will sort and organize their possessions and personal space whether they share a space, or live alone. College-bound students will sort their possessions, organize their space at home, and pack the possessions that they need for school. High school students will sort and organize their possessions, and tidy their space at home. All can expect to feel energized, clear-minded, and prepared for the future!

Booking Fees:

1 Day Session - $350
2 Day Session - $550

After all the sorting, organizing, and tidying it will be time for your child to make their "new" space their own!

And start the year with a fresh perspective and a new set of organizing skills!

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) KonMari Session

If you are the student/former student and would like to try a DIY KonMari Session here is how you can help yourself:

1. Read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. It’s available at every library in both book and audio file format.

2. Visualize your ideal life. Imagine your ideal day, what your room looks like, your morning routine, the weather where you’ll be in the fall and winter, what you’ll wear, where you’ll go, what you’ll carry, and so on. Use your imagination and include as much detail as possible. This is a key step.

3. Gather all your clothing and put it on your bed. Follow the “clothing joy-check” sorting method in the book. Remove the clothing that no longer supports the lifestyle you envision. Fold what’s left and put it all away.

4. Follow the same method with your accessories, footwear, and jewelry. Thank your discards for their service and say goodbye.

5. Repeat the process with your books, then papers, then school supplies, and art supplies. Each category and how to sort it is described in detail here (link to site).

6. Next is Sundries: body and hair care, toiletries, make-up, and medicine.

7. Then Textiles: Select what you will need by way of towels, sheets, throws, and pillows.

8. Next you will need to select your favorite art and decorative items, electric items, and electronics. What sparks joy for you? A mirror, a light, a sentimental stuffed animal, trinket, or series of photos?

9. Find containers and pack it all up. IKEA blue plastic bags are great, duffle bags, a trunk, plastic bins, whatever is available and works for you.

If you REALLY want to spark joy, after you have sorted, discarded and organized your things, clean and vacuum your room and put everything away neatly. Not only will this make you feel good, it will be helpful to your parents, knowing they raised a competent and confident young adult who is particularly skilled in the art of an organized life!

How To KonMari Your To-Do List

Commitments to family, work, household management, friends (is self-care in there anywhere??) There may be a lot of competition for the task to do first, but you're going to have to hold off tackling those dust bunnies for just a bit if you’re going to achieve a true Spark Joy Lifestyle. Today I’m going to talk about the highest priority – KonMari Your To-Do List first.

The process includes:
1. Clearing
2. Prioritizing 
3. Scheduling

Clearing: Ideas, tasks, chores, and obligations can sometimes clutter your mind and feel like fruit flies swarming and multiplying at an alarming rate– it can really make your head spin. So, to stop the vertigo, empty what’s on your mind onto a sheet of paper. Write everything down that you want, need, or have to do. Everything. Empty your brain.

The best time to do this is on a Monday morning (but right now is just fine if you’re ready!) Your list can include anything from meeting up with an old friend to dealing with that landslide of papers on your desk.

List everything from fun-to-do, to not-so-fun-to-do, to downright ugh. The point is to get it out of your head and on to the paper. It’s hard to decide if something brings joy when you look at it by itself. Seeing all your to-do's at once helps you prioritize your list in the same way that the seeing all of your clothing or books all at once does.

Prioritizing: This is where you look at each item on your comprehensive list, joy-check it, and prioritize it. The tasks left on your list should support your ideal lifestyle. Not all of them will be exciting. For example, if scheduling a mammogram is on the list, it may be there not because you look forward to it, but because it supports your commitment to health and taking care of yourself. If an item doesn’t spark joy, cross it off. You may choose not to attend that meetup, skip the school fundraiser this time, or decline that wedding invitation. There's no joy in being stressed out and pressed for time because of an activity that is optional.

Another special trick for identifying what sparks joy is to begin with the items closest to your heart. Why? Because that’s where you feel joy - in your heart, literally in your chest, not in your head. It could be your family, a special cause you support, or something you really want to do. Slide your finger down the list and see how your body responds when you read each item. Don’t worry if you’re not good at this at first. With practice you hone your sense of joy and each time you do it becomes easier. 

Next, prioritize the list by when it needs to get done first. Be realistic, rushing around all stressed out does not spark joy.  What are the most important things, the less critical, the ones that are not urgent? 

Scheduling: Next, make a plan, then transfer everything to your calendar. Giving each task a date and putting it on the calendar is like folding your clothing and putting it all away. The secret to getting things done and staying calm is scheduling. Schedule days off - free time - and days to get things done. Then schedule the tasks and things you need to do.

So if Saturday’s list is phone calls from 9 am to 10 am, try to finish within that hour. Maybe the next item is to power wash the patio furniture, followed by grocery shopping 3 pm to 4 pm, and getting ready for dinner with friends at 5 pm. When everything is on the calendar, throw away the to-do list. Don’t worry, you’ll be making it over again next Monday morning.This process energizes you because you’re honoring yourself. You’re showing respect– no more rushing around. 

Anything that you can’t get started, break it down into smaller steps, the same way that you would break down clothing into smaller steps/categories, such as blouses, sweaters, skirts, scarves, accessories, etc. For example, if you have offered to make quiche for tomorrow’s brunch, 1. Find a recipe, 2. Check your pantry for the ingredients, 3. Make a shopping list, 4. Take out the pie plate, rolling pin, whisk, etc. Break down the steps for any large tasks or jobs on your schedule. 

There will be a lot on your calendar. But you’ve now thought all this through. Resist the urge to start repainting a chair or watching a Netflix show to avoid doing what you have planned to do. You’ve decided to live a deliberate life of intention, not a reactive life. You honor your future self when you plan your life like this. Every decision you make about what you do gets you one step closer to your ideal lifestyle. Before you know it the window washers have come and gone, the patio is ready for guests, the winter coats and boots are cleaned and stowed for the fall, and all the expired sunscreen has been replaced with a fresh supply. The only thing that will be left to do is to relax, enjoy, and appreciate the life you have created for yourself and those you love.